It has the power of greatly dilating the skin of the neck, and this it does when angered in a way that is very remarkable.

Though naturally irritable, it is easily tamed; and the serpent-charmers of the East make it the object of their art more often than any other species.

[PLATE XXVIII., Fig.

2.] After extracting the fangs or burning out the poison-bag with a red-hot iron, the charmer trains the animal by the shrill sounds of a small flute, and it is soon perfectly docile.
The cerastes is also employed occasionally by the snake-charmers.

It has two long and thin excrescences above the eyes, whereto the name of "horns" has been given: they stand erect, leaning a little backwards; no naturalist has as yet discovered their use.